Association between reasons for not working and reporting of major depression and anxiety symptoms among U.S. adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 continues to take a large toll on the mental health of the not working population, particularly of those who were unable to work. This study, using the Household Pulse Survey, estimated the association between reasons for not working and major depression and anxiety symptoms (MDAS). The lowest MDAS was reported by retirees. Individuals who were unable to work because of transportation problems, layoffs, COVID-19 concerns, and sickness or disability reported the highest MDAS. Mediation analysis showed that the direct and indirect effects of reasons for not working were much higher for those individuals who were unable to work than for individuals who were working or decided not to work.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• depression and anxiety
• mental health
• not working
• reasons for not working
• U.S. Household Pulse Survey

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Toni Alterman, Brian Quay, and Regina Pana-Cryan, all of CDC, for their valuable comments and suggestions on an earlier draft of the paper, and Cheryl Hamilton for her excellent editorial assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Data availability statement

The data used in this study—the Household Pulse Survey (HPS)—are publicly available at https://www.census.gov/householdpulsedata.